The Washington Capitals made an unexpected signing in free agency this summer, inking forward Max Pacioretty to a one-year deal, worth $2 million plus a possible $2 million in performance bonuses. Pacioretty represents a somewhat unknown quantity: though he previously put up impressive numbers with the Montreal Canadiens and Vegas Golden Knights, he missed nearly all of last year with two Achilles tendon tears and will not be available to start the season with the Caps.

Apparently, the Capitals weren’t the only team willing to take a gamble on Pacioretty. In a recent episode of his podcast Agent Provocateur for the Steve Dangle Podcast Network, Pacioretty’s agent Allan Walsh revealed that at least a quarter of the league made an offer, with Washington coming out on top.

Though he didn’t offer specifics, Walsh teased that some “surprising” teams were among those willing to make a deal.

Well, [the Capitals] expressed interest right at the beginning of free agency. And they had a couple of conversations – the GM Brian MacLellan and Max. Max also spoke with the head coach there and really liked their plan for him. There was just so much about it that made sense. We’re really not supposed to talk about some of the other offers out there, but we were actually sitting there with about eight to 10 offers. Some teams that would have been, I think, if people knew who actually made an offer, pretty surprising.

This, just in the clicking off the criteria of what was most important to him, hockey always being right up there along with family, it just made the most sense for him and his family. He believes in the organization and he’s excited and can’t wait to get back on the ice and be healthy and put all of the injuries he’s had and been dealing with the last couple of years behind him. I think he’s doing amazing right now. Don’t know if he’s going to be ready to start the season, Game One, but it shouldn’t be too long before he’s back playing and playing with some really good players and playing at the level he expects of himself.

Walsh highlighted family as a major factor in the decision, echoing Pacioretty’s own comments shortly after signing. Unlike at least some other teams, the Capitals were willing to offer Pacioretty a no-movement clause, ensuring they wouldn’t flip him at the trade deadline. That stability was appealing, especially for a player joining his third team in three seasons.

“I think there were opportunities out there where there’s a lot of unknowns, teams are signing guys and not knowing what’s gonna happen in February and maybe you flip it that way,” Pacioretty explained. “And then there’s some situations where teams are really up against the cap and there’s not much you can do there. I have five kids, my family’s the most important thing to me.”

Pacioretty entered free agency after a turbulent year with the Carolina Hurricanes. After tearing his Achilles tendon last summer, he played only five games last season before a second tear would prematurely end his season. He also missed significant time with Vegas during the 2021-22 season, though he still registered 37 points (19g, 18a) in 39 games.

For negotiating teams, those injuries had a silver lining. Since Pacioretty spent more than 100 days on IR last season and has played more than 400 total NHL games, Pacioretty’s contract were allowed to include those performance bonuses in his contract. Any cap overages caused by the bonuses will carry over to the following season, effectively allowing teams to defer part of Pacioretty’s cap hit.

With the salary cap only increasing by $1 million this offseason, the potential for bonuses likely made Pacioretty a more valuable target in free agency. MacLellan noted that that flexibility helped the cap-strapped Capitals reach a deal.

“We had limited cap space and we were trying to add certain elements to the team,” he said. “You know, that opportunity within the CBA to have a lower cap hit and carry over if those bonuses are achieved, it was appealing to us. We got him at a 2 million cap hit instead of a higher cap hit which you might not have been able to afford.”

Ultimately, Pacioretty’s impact in Washington will largely depend on how he bounces back from injury. He’s hit the 50-point mark seven times in his career, last doing so in the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season. If he can return to his earlier form, he could prove an excellent pickup for the Capitals. Pacioretty, for one, thinks he can do just that.

“At the end of the day, I just thought that Washington was a great opportunity for me to come back and prove that I’m still the player that I once was and I’m capable of coming back and scoring goals.”